Harmful algal blooms (HABs) affect human health,
fishery’s economy, tourism and aquatic ecosystems.
Since HABs are a worldwide problem, monitoring
programs have been implemented in more than 50
countries in order to minimize their effects. The reports
of toxic phytoplankton species and the diversity of
toxins produced by these microorganisms have
increased. The National Directorate of Aquatic
Resources (DINARA), Ministry of Livestock,
Agriculture and Fishery (MGAP) carries on the
simultaneous monitoring of HABs and mollusc
toxicity. This monitoring approach and the
confirmation of toxic microalgae species allows the
DINARA to establish the causality between the bloom
and the toxicity of molluscs along the Uruguayan
coast. There exist some mechanisms for HABs control,
although their applicability presents limitations. The
geographic dispersion of harmful and toxic microalgae
can be produced by natural factors like oceanic
currents or human activities like maritime tra.....